Meet Patricia Simmons

I love the movie Rudy and its story of an underdog who achieves beyond what was humanly possible. I also love when Rudy questions God's will for his life. Father Cavanaugh wisely says, "Son, in my 35 years of religious study, I have come up with two hard incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I am not Him." So how does Rudy tie into Proverbs? Read on.

Our passage is part of the Thirty Sayings of the Wise, which is in Proverbs 22:17–24:22. This section covers the first five nuggets of wisdom: don't take advantage of the poor, don't hang with hotheads, don't cover the debts of others, don't move markers set by God, and do be diligent in your work. Before he gives these sayings, Solomon implores us to pay attention with our ears and our hearts. Wisdom is not something we can simply hear and then do; it must be imbedded in our soul to take hold. In order to hear and apply truth, we must first humble ourselves and admit our ignorance (this is the Rudy application). Second, we need to listen and learn from those who are wise (i.e., community, walking with Jesus). Finally, commit to what you are taught. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22) Words of wisdom are just words unless you devote yourself to the study of God's Word and apply what you have learned.    

As a young couple, my husband and I were wise in our own minds. We lived for ourselves and looked to the other instead of God for fulfillment. We'd barely survived five hard years of marriage and were close to divorce when we acknowledged His ways were better than our own. Life without God's wisdom may seem right for a while, but, in the end, it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).  Each year, I grow a little older and, hopefully, wiser because I have learned (the hard way) that His ways are much better than mine. ​So how do you become a wise guy? You place your trust in the Guy who is wise.